Women of Faith & Courage is packed full of historical information and insight about powerful women in history - and here's a surprise! I was filled with a sense of God's peace when reading this. For the first time ever, through these women's ministries, God has made me see that singleness can be a blessing, not a curse. The woman in the book I was most in awe of was Mary Slessor, who never married, and did some amazing ministry in the depths of darkest Africa. The last story was about Corrie ten Boom, a single woman who realised at one point that she would never marry, and got on with the ministry that God set out for her - and her blazing light stood out in Nazi Germany for all to see. Susannah Wesley experienced some of her children dying, two fires, and a lot of financial hardship as her husband set out on the ministry he was so intent on. I had not realised how many hymns the blind writer Fanny Crosby was responsible for writing, including 'To God Be the Glory' (which didn't become famous until it was used by Billy Graham crusades in the twentieth century.) Fanny loved writing poetry at school, and was once forbidden it by her Headmaster, who then relented on seeing how miserable she was when her gift to the world was taken away from her. All these women went through some pretty traumatic experiences, but they didn't allow their hardships to draw them away from God. Instead, they drew nearer to Him and asked Him for guidance in getting them through. What examples they set for modern Christian women, especially those wanting inspiration for evangelism and mission work.